The words, “I (Jesus) will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven,” which the Lord addressed to Peter, are directly linked to his calling and sending. When the first church was gathered at Pentecost, Peter stepped forward as the mouthpiece of God. Filled with the Holy Ghost he set forth in few words to the crowd of people that was collected together the fundamental truth of salvation. For those who believe according to the New Testament, those are for ever binding.

A key symbolises access to a thing. If anyone has the key to a palace, a house, or a car, he has access to it. Locked doors are open to him, and he may enter. If anyone has the keys to the Kingdom of heaven, then God’s Kingdom with all its treasures, all its promises and gifts, is open to him. In simple terms he has free access to everything that God has prepared. By what He said to Peter, the Lord desired to emphasise this fact in a special way. In the first place the divine authority was placed prophetically on our Lord (Isa. 22: 22). Later He gave it to His servants, whom He personally had called to His service.

The statement in Matthew 18: 18 is also in a false way taken out of context. In it the Lord is speaking not to Peter, but rather to the whole church. Therefore He stated in the plural, “Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Where does one hear of clerics who are capable of binding the powers of Satan, driving out devils, and setting free those that are bound? Anyone can carry a key about in his robe. Who, however, possesses the divine authority?

The next verse also proves unequivocally, that the Lord is addressing the whole church, “Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” How it could be concluded, that verse 18 only applies to those who bear office, is incomprehensible.

The faithful constitute the body of the Lord and are all equal before God. To the church at Rome Paul writes, “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace given to us …” (Rom. 12: 4-6). These thoughts are specified more completely by Paul in his first Epistle to the Corinthians, chapter 12, from verse 4, “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit …” He emphasises that we were joined together by the Holy Spirit as members into this one body of the Lord. From verse 7 he explains, “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. ” That is an experience. Then he continues and lists the nine spiritual gifts of the members of the body of Jesus Christ: “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him” (1 Cor. 12: 18).

The words, “I (Jesus) will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven,” which the Lord addressed to Peter, are directly linked to his calling and sending. When the first church was gathered at Pentecost, Peter stepped forward as the mouthpiece of God. Filled with the Holy Ghost he set forth in few words to the crowd of people that was collected together the fundamental truth of salvation. For those who believe according to the New Testament, those are for ever binding.

A key symbolises access to a thing. If anyone has the key to a palace, a house, or a car, he has access to it. Locked doors are open to him, and he may enter. If anyone has the keys to the Kingdom of heaven, then God’s Kingdom with all its treasures, all its promises and gifts, is open to him. In simple terms he has free access to everything that God has prepared. By what He said to Peter, the Lord desired to emphasise this fact in a special way. In the first place the divine authority was placed prophetically on our Lord (Isa. 22: 22). Later He gave it to His servants, whom He personally had called to His service.

The statement in Matthew 18: 18 is also in a false way taken out of context. In it the Lord is speaking not to Peter, but rather to the whole church. Therefore He stated in the plural, “Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Where does one hear of clerics who are capable of binding the powers of Satan, driving out devils, and setting free those that are bound? Anyone can carry a key about in his robe. Who, however, possesses the divine authority?

The next verse also proves unequivocally, that the Lord is addressing the whole church, “Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” How it could be concluded, that verse 18 only applies to those who bear office, is incomprehensible.

The faithful constitute the body of the Lord and are all equal before God. To the church at Rome Paul writes, “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace given to us …” (Rom. 12: 4-6). These thoughts are specified more completely by Paul in his first Epistle to the Corinthians, chapter 12, from verse 4, “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit …” He emphasises that we were joined together by the Holy Spirit as members into this one body of the Lord. From verse 7 he explains, “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. ” That is an experience. Then he continues and lists the nine spiritual gifts of the members of the body of Jesus Christ: “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him” (1 Cor. 12: 18).